THE subject on which I would like to write about is “The new Bill to protect rights of the disabled”, I think everyone will understand that I shall be writing of the view which we disabled think as to what the new bill should be. The new bill will, in fact, depend upon the will of those who are disabled as expressed in the bill, and ultimately in the constitution. The Minister of Health is represented in the Assembly,but,as I understand it, the position taken by us there and, in my view, properly taken, is that the Bill is no rubber stamp of anybody’s wishes, and consequently the disabled, while firmly presenting their  views, will be reasonably open-minded on those presented by and assented by the President .In this way we hope that the Bill which finally emerges will be accepted to all ministries, government agencies, the Guyana Police Force and the private sector and the nation at large.
The bills have emerged out of an historical experience which culminated in the entrenchment of those economic hardships and conditions that we are faced with on a daily basis. It is improbable that this came about as the primary objective of the system. And in any case, only those who hugged the soup bowl were likely to think the trickle equitable.
It was promised that the rehabilitation services will be upgraded to provide a higher level of service with buildings of new facilities but to date nothing has being done in this area and people are still suffering to access medical treatment in long lines.
Injuries have led to numerous employees like me being permanently disabled, without compensation for our years of service. Injuries can incapacitate us to the extent that we are no longer offered work we did prior to the accident, and we are not being offered even light work. As so many of us have lamented-no work means no pay and financial woes for the family. Another dimension of the problem we are sent off the job medically unfit for work, at an early age.